Letter of the Day: Our declining freedom of choice

On the July Fourth holiday, I am grateful to live in the United States of America and have no desire to live anywhere else. But as a country we have lost our greatness over the years and continue to decline.

What was a once strong nation economically has become a shell of itself. We have lost our capacity to manufacture and produce goods, depending on other countries to supply us with many of our most basic needs. When is the last time you tried to buy a pair of shoes or an article of clothing with the “Made In America” label? And to make matters worse, we largely depend on foreign communist countries (such as China), that are our global enemies, to deliver these goods.

How have our political and business leaders allowed this to happen? I think three words describe our problems: greed, ignorance and apathy.

I try to buy “American Made” whenever possible, and if it isn’t a necessity made in this country, I generally don’t buy it unless it is made in a non-communist country.

Wants and needs are two different things. I need shelter, food, clothing and transportation, along with a job to support my family. I don’t need frivolous items made in China.

As we celebrate the July Fourth weekend by enjoying our freedom to grill out, go to the beach and party, I ask that we also reflect on what we have and what we are losing: the freedom of choice. May we hope that our country’s leaders start working on rebuilding America and making us a stronger country.